Control system for exhausting ballast from torpedoes



0d. 8, 1946. c, c, wHlTTAKER 2,409,169

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EXHAUS'I'ING BALLAST FROM TORPEDOES Filed May 9, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES: a flZ/VfiEg'LOZ are; 0 en 9%, 16%. BY

ATTORNEY 1946- c. c. WHITTAKER 2,409,169

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EXHAUSTING BALLAST FROM TORPEDOES Filed MayB, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fink/e: dWfi/ffme/f BY W5.

ATTORNEY 1946- c. c. WHITTAKER 2,409,169

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EXHAUSTING BALLAST FROM TORPEDOES Filed May 9, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 F29. Z 72 7s WITNESSES: j INVENTOR fifiar/es 6 fl fi/ffa/re/f I I BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 8, 1946 attests CONTROL SYSTEM FOR EXHAUSTING BALLAST FROM TORPEDOES Charles C. Whittaker, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 9, 1945, Serial No. 592,803

8 Claims.

My invention relates to control devices for torpedoes and, more particularly, to devices for controlling the buoyancy of torpedoes.

The Government of the United States has been granted a certain royalty-free license for governmental purposes with respect to the invention herein described.

It is extremely important that a torpedo does not sink and thus make recovery difiicult or impossible during exercise runs of a torpedo.

During exercise runs of a torpedo, the exercise headcorresponding to the war head for battle shots-is filled with ballast water, or some other cheap liquid, which must be expelled, that is, blown from the exercise head to make the torpedo buoyant. For reasons well known, a torpedo is normally so loaded that it has a negative buoyancy. To effect surfacing of a torpedo at a desired time, the ballast liquid is expelled from the exercise head to cause surfacing of the torpedo. The most desirable time for effecting such surfacing is just prior to the end of the exercise run, but if for any cause whatsoever the torpedo does not complete its normal exercise run, it is essential to cause surfacing of the torpedo while it is still in motion.

With the electrically propelled torpedo now generally used, the "blowing of the exercise head is usually effected by admitting carbon dioxide gas into the exercise head from a highpressure CO2 flask.

One object of my invention is to effect surfacing of a torpedo at the desired time.

Another object of my invention is to effect blowing of the ballast liquid from the exercise head of a torpedo when the operating conditions are such that the torpedo should surface to facilitate recovery of the torpedo.

A more specific object of my invention is the provision of timing means so devised that the ballast liquid is expelled from the exercise head of a torpedo just prior to the end of the exercise run, or prior to the expiration of such time if the operating conditions are such as to make surfacing of the torpedo desirable.

Another not so specific object of my invention is to efiect surfacing of a torpedo a definite time after firing of the torpedo, or prior to the expiration of such definite time period should. the torpedo speed decrease to a given speed or some other operating condition of the torpedo make surfacing desirable.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become more apparent fro-m a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 diagrammatically shows so much of the circuits of an electrically propelled torpedo as are necessary to illustrate some features of my invention; v

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my special timers with the cover in place;

- Fig. 3 is a sectional top plan view of my on section line Ill-III of Fig. 7;

timer Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top portion of the timer mechanism and illustrating one of the reset buttons, or stems, mounted in the top cover;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on lines V-V of Fig. '7; 'Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line VI--VI of Fi '7 Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of parts of my invention taken on line VII-VII of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan the cover in place.

The clearest concept of my contribution to the art can probably be had from a study of the operating sequence of the subject matterv shown in Fig. 1. The details of the timing mechanisms view of my timer with Fig. 1.

When the torpedo T is fired from the firingtube I, the trigger valve 2, through the operation of lever 3' by the dog 4 on the firing tube I, is operated to connect the gas pressure flask 5 to the conduit 6. This conduit is connected to the valve 1 which is latched to the open position by the latch mechanism ll.

With valve 1 in the position shown, gas pressure is admitted to the pneumatically operable switch 8. This switch, with a time delay of about three-fourths of a second, closes the contacts 9, whereupon a circuit is established from the positive terminal in of the battery B through the motor armature of motor M, the field windingsw of the torpedo tube. Rotation of the propellers P is thus delayed just sufliciently to prevent rotating contact of the propellers with the louvers. A time delay of a half to one second is usually selected. This time is ample for the torpedo to clear the tube.

In the equipment with which my invention has actually been used, the time constant of switch 8 has been so adjusted that the contacts 5 close after a delay of three-fourths of a second after the firing of the torpedo.

Since the firing of the torpedo produces an acceleration of approximately 11G, I make use of this accelerating force to set-my timing mechanisms in operation. My timer mechanisms include two distinct clock mechanism one, namely l3, for producing a short time delay, and a second, namely 36, for producing a longer time delay.

The timer l3 per se is of well known design and includes an inertia gear train. When a torque is applied to its actuating shaft Hi, (seeFigs. 3 and 7), thistimer tithroughthe inertia elementsof its geartrain, permits rotationof shaft mat a constant speed for; as long as, a torque is applied to this shaft I l. The time-of operation of shaft I4 is selected at about two to three seconds.

Torque is applied tothis shaft by the armature l5 pivoted at l6 on the U-shaped bracket l'l rigidly securedto' the insulating plate i3 fixed on the timer mechanism frame. The armature I5 is biased for counterclockwise, rotation by the tension spring l9 hooked to the back end of the armatureand the frame, as shown mostclearly in Fig. 7. The armature carriesa weight 25. The timer mechanism is mounted on the torpedo so that the bottom-thereof is directed aft of the torpedo. Acceleration, of the torpedo through the inertia of weight 26 thus causes the armature I 5 to move clockwise. about its pivot 15.

The right-hand end of the armature. is provided witha clip 2! having at its extreme right end an, upwardly directed, hook engaging, the

left-hand leg ofthe U-shaped upper end of the leaf spring 22; secured to the frame and is, biasedto move to.- Ward the right once released by the hook on the clip 2|.

The right-hand end of the armature is, by means of'link 26, operatively connected to the ba-r'tiiloosely mounted on the shaft M. The bar 23' carries a pair of spring biasedpawls 24 disposed to engagethe ratchet-wheel, 25 rigidly connected tothe shaft A t.

The instant torpedo is fired, the weight 28 causes the armature to move clockwise till it engages the horizontal base on the brass guide plate 21. The horizontal base is accurately machined so as to have a proper space relation to the top of core 21- of the actuating coil 28 for the armature 15. A proper air gap is thus provided toprevent sticking of thearmature. In so doing; the spring 22 is released, and the bar 23 is rotated clockwise on the shaft I4. The instant the torpedoacceleration ceases, spring I9 starts the armature-rotating counterclockwise about pivot 16, but such rotation is retarded be cause the pawls 23 engage wheel 25 fixed on shaft M. A torque is thus applied to shaft i l, but its counterclockwise rotation is slowed to a constant speed by the inertia elements of the clock mechanism I3.

The actuating coil 28 is connected across the field windings F of the motor. A short time This, leaf spring at its base is.

after the closing of the contacts 9, the voltage drop across the field F is built up sufiiciently to energize coil 28. The circuit for coil 28 may be traced from junction 29 through conductor 30, coil 28, conductor 3i, contacts 32 and 45, conductor 33, contacts 59 and 5D, conductor 35, and contacts 9 to the negative terminal E2 of the battery B. The full energization of'coil 28 thusoccurs a moment after acceleration of the torpedo ceases and while the armature I5 is in its initial stages of its counterclockwise movement. The armature is thus again, but now eiectromagneticaliy, moved clockwise and will remain '9. contact. with the horizontal surface of guide 2.? as longas coil 28 remain energized.

The second timing device or clock mechanism 39-1 utilize is also in itself in part of well known design and includes a clock spring for driving its timing elements. The spring or" this timing device iswound by a suitable key attached to the shaft 3?. Another shaftfi'i', operableby the clock spring, not shown, I provide with a gear 38 meshing" with, a. gear sector 39, fixed on' a.

sleeve shaft 68 which; is, rotatably disposed on shaft 40.

To the gear sector 39 I rigidly secure a friction sector 4!. A leaf spring 62 is pivotallymounted at 43 and is so biased thatit frictionally engages the friction sector A by. anaxially directed force. Any clockwise movement. of. the friction sector AM, as seen in Figs. 5 and. 6; causes counterclockwise movement of theleaf spring 4-2.

The pivot block 441 for the leaf spring 42 is of insulatingmaterial carrying the leaf-spring contact 55. Any relatively small angular movement of the leaf spring in a counterclockwise direction will thus cause contact. 55 to engage resilient contactsz disposed on. a suitable block of insulation-t5 mounted on the frame on the timing device. It will thus be. apparent that setting of timing device 3-6 presently'to be. discussed and involving clockwise-movement of friction sector t! 1Wi11 cause engagement of; contacts 32 and 45. These two contacts are connected in parallel. to thecurrent limiting resistor 34. During the energization of coil 23, maximum voltage is thus applied to this coil 28.

To the gear sector 3? -I also rigidly secure the cam 41'. This cam 47, when the. timer is. in its full, zero position, as shown'in Fig. Band Fig. 6,

is in such a position that thecam surface 28 moves the resilient contact 49 so that it is out of contact with contact v 5B but is in engagement with contact 5!.

Whenthe exercise run. is tobe. made by the torpedo, the. shaft B8.is turned thus actuating friction sectorv 4i and .thisoperation carries'leaf spring d2 counterclockwise to thus cause engagement of contacts 32ancl'45. The shaft is turned till the index 52 on cam 41 is opposite the number selected on the adjacent dial 53.

It will be noted that the graduated sector or dial 53carries numerals running from 0 to 10. This simply means that by suitablemanipulation 'of the key on shaft 31, the. index 52 may be The second timing device or clock mechanism 36 is set in operation by depressing the button 54. A weight 55 is mounted directly above this button 54 and is biased away from the button by the leaf spring 56 fixed to the frame at 51. The leaf spring 56 carries the weight 55. The weight 55 is provided with a notch 56 coacting with the downwardly directed leaf spring 59. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The spring 59 is fixed at its upper end to the relatively rigid bracket 60 secured to the frame.

Upon firing of the torpedo, the weight lags the movement of the torpedo and thus actuates the button 54. The leaf spring immediately moves into the notch 58 and the weight 55 and thus the button 54 remains in the actuated position. The timing device is thus set in operation and continues to operate until a short time after the index moves opposite the zero reading on th dial 53.

An instant after the torpedo is on its way, the timing device 36 starts the movement of elements 39, 4| and ll in a counterclockwise direction. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) A relatively short timea half minute or somewhat less-the leaf spring 42 is moved clockwise an amount sufiicient to open the contacts 32 and 45. The current limiting resistor is thus inserted in the circuit of coil 28. The armature |5 is, however, not released since this coil 28 is normally energized sufi'iciently even though the resistor 56 is inserted in the coil circuit. By the use of the resistor 34 the drop-out voltage is made nearly equal to pull-in voltage. The coil is thus made more sensitive to voltage changes after firing of the torpedo.

The right-hand end of the armature is provided with a contact 6| disposed to engage contact 62 in the event coil 28 is for any cause deenergized.

If the operation of all the elements is normal, namely as expected, then after the lapse of eight minutes of torpedo movement through the water, the cam portion 48 engages the actuating end of the resilient contact .5, thus causing a break between contacts 49 and 50. Disengagement of these contacts interrupts the energizing circuit for coil 28 at these contacts.

The armature I5 is thus released, and the spring l9 moves the armature counterclockwise. The speed of movement is, however, retarded by the timing device I3 since the pawls 24 engage wheel 25 to rotate the gear train for actuating the Verge escapement of this timing device or clock mechanism l3.

After the lapse of four or five seconds at the most, contacts 6| and 62 are brought into engagement. As soon as these contacts engage each other, a circuit is established from the positive terminal of the battery through contacts 6| and 62 to conductor 63, the squib 64 of the CO2 flask 65, conductor 66, and contacts 9 to the negative terminal of the battery B.

The CO2 flask gas pressure is thus admitted to the exercise head and the ballast liquid is expelled from the exercise head. It will be noted that the expulsion of the ballast liquid takes place-or at least is well underwaywhile the torpedo is still in motion.

Some ten to twenty seconds after the contacts 59 and 56 move out of engagement, the resilient contact 49 engages contact 5| whereupon a circuit is established for the latch release coil for the valve. The circuit is from the positive terminal l0 throu h coil 69, conductor 10, contacts 5| and 49, conductors 35 and 66, and contacts 9 to the negative terminal of the battery.

This valve thus moves through 90 with a snap action. The pneumatic switch is now connected to the timing leak device II. This device is described in considerable detail in the hereinbefore mentioned pending application.

It sufiices to state in this application that the timing leak device permits the gas pressure acting on the pneumatic switch 8 to leak away at a selected speed. When the pressure acting on pneumatic switch 8 decreases to a selected value, contacts 9 are opened with a snap action and the motor is thus disconnected from the battery. The torpedo is thus stopped and may be readily recovered since normally by this time it is also buoyant.

My device is, however, not limited to the normal functioning of all elements. If for any reason, when the torpedo is fired, power fails to be applied to the driving motor, the coil 28 is deenergized and as a consequence the contacts 6| and 62 are closed. The ballast liquid is thus immediately expelled even though the cam 41 has by no means moved to its Zero position.

If, after the torpedo starts in a normal manner, some difiiculty develops during the run so that power to the driving -motor is interrupted, coil 28 becomes deenergized and the device functions to expel the ballast liquid.

Also, if, after the torpedo starts in a normal manner and the power supply gradually fails, the device functions to cause the torpedo to surface before it has lost sufficient speed such that it would start to sink.

. Since the clock mechanisms must be useful for repeated exercise runs it is very desirable to provide simple resetting means and means for effecting operation of the clock mechanism 36 independent of firing of the torpedo.

For independent starting of the clock mechanism I utilize the actuating stem 12. This stem projects through the top cover and has a, lower end projecting through a guide opening in the bracket 13. A biasing spring 14 is disposed on the stem 12 and is disposed between the bracket 73 and a shoulder 15 fixed on the stem 12. The spring l4 thus biases the stem upwardly so that its lower end, which terminates directly above weight 55, is out of contact with weight 55. By depressing stem 12 the weight 55 and stem 54 is actuated in the same manner as if the inertia of weight 55 were to actuate stem 54.

If both clock mechanisms have completed their cycle of operation the leaf spring 22 is out of engagement with the clip 2| and spring 59 is disposed in notch 58. Button 16 constitutes the reset button for both weights 20 and 55, this button is spring biased upwardly to a given position. The inner, or lower, end is provided with a bracket 11 having actuating arms 18 and i9 and a heel portion 85 for actuating armature l5 and leaf springs 22 and 59 respectively. When button 16 is depressed arm 58 engages clip 2| to thus move the armature l5 down sufiiciently so that the upper U-shaped end of spring 22 can be moved over the hook on clip 2|. At the same arm 19 engages the right-hand surface of spring 22 placing the spring 22 in the position shown in Fig. '7; The heel portion engages spring 59 to move it toward the right to thus release the weight 55 so that the spring 56 carrying this weight moves the weight to the position shown in Fig. 4. When the button is released it moves to the position shown in Figs.

4 and 7 but the armature l5 and Weight 55 remain in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific showing made but wish to be limited only by the scope of the claims hereto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electro-mechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of an underwater craft normally having a negative buoyancy, in combination, a chamber containing a ballast liquid, a flask containing gas under pressure mounted on the craft for connection to the chamber containing the ballast liquid, means for establishing fluid communication between the chamber andflask, a pair of electric terminals normally energized at a substantially constant potential, means responsive to predetermined drop of said potential for operating said means for establishing fluid communication between the chamber and the flask to thus admit gas from the flask into the chamber containing the ballast liquid. 7

2. In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of an underwater device normally having a negative buoyancy, in combination, a chamber in the device containing a ballast liquid, a flask containing gas under pressure mounted on the device for connection to the chamber containing the ballast liquid, electric means for establishing fluid communication between the chamber and flask, a pair of electric terminals normally energized at a substantially constant potential, electromagnetic means, responsive to the potential of said terminals, for energizing said electric means upon a selected decrease in the potential across said terminals, and timing means set in operation when the device is placed under Water for automatically decreasing the potential across said terminals sulficiently, after the lapse of a selected time interval, to effect deenergization of said electromagnetic means to thereby effect the energization of said electric means.

3. In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of a torpedo normally having a negative buoyancy and normally being launched with acceleration over a relatively short time interval, in combination, a chamber in said torpedo containing a ballast liquid, a flask containing gas under pressure mounted in the torpedo and disposed to be connected to said chamber to expel the ballast liquid therefrom, electric means for establishing fluid communication between the flask and chamber, a pair of electric terminals normally energized at a constant potential, electromagnetic means connected to said terminals and operable on a selected decrease of the potential of said terminals to energize said electric means, timing means, inertia responsive means operable by the acceleration of the torpedo during launching for setting said timing mean in operation, said timing means including means operable a selected time interval after the timing means is set in operation for decreasing the potential across said terminals sufliciently to deenergize said electromagnetic means to thus eiTect energization of aid electric means.

4. In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of a torpedo normally having a negative buoyancy and normally being launched with acceleration over a relatively short time interval, in combination, a chamber in said torpedo containing a ballast liquid, a flask containing gas under pressure mounted in the torpedo and disposed to be connected to said chamber to expel the ballast liquid therefrom, electric means for establishing fluid communication between the flask and chamber, a pair of electric terminals normally energized at a constant potential, electromagnetic switching means, a torpedo propulsion motor, trigger means operated during the initial stages of torpedo acceleration for connecting said electromagnetic switching means to said terminals, said electromagnetic switching means having a time limit just sufficient so as to connect said propulsion motor to said terminals at the end of the accelerating period of the torpedo, a short-time timin device, a long-time timing device, inertia responsive means for setting said short-time timing device during launching of the torpedo, electromagnetic means, energized by the switching. means, for holding said short-time timing device in set position, inertia responsive means for setting said long-time timing device during launching of the torpedo, said short-time timing device being operable, when released by the electromagnetic device, to energize said electric means to thus effect connection of the flask to the chamber, and means operable by said long-time timing device for deenergizing said electromagnetic means in a given interval of time and deenergizing said electromagnetic switching means in a longer interval of time.

5. In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of a torpedo normally having negative buoyancy by the inclusion of a ballast liquid, normally being fired from a firing tube with considerable acceleration, and normally including means for expelling the ballast liquid from the torpedo when it is to be made buoyant,

in combination, a source of electric potential, a timing device, means responsive to inertia and thus normally operable during acceleration to set said timing device, said timing device including means for efiecting the operation of said means for expelling the ballast liquid of a selected time interval after the timing device is set.

6, In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of a torpedo normally having negative buoyancy by reason of the inclusion within the torpedo of a ballast liquid, normally being fired from a flring tube with considerable acceleration, normally including propulsion equipment set in operation the instant the torpedo clears the firing tube and normally including means for expelling the ballast liquid when the torpedo is to be made buoyant, in combination, a source of electric potential normally of constant value, means responsive to a predetermined drop in potential of said source of electric potential, regardless of the cause of such drop, for effecting the operation of the means for expelling the ballast liquid from the torpedo, a timing device, means responsive to inertia and thus normally operable during the accelerating period of the torpedo for setting said timing device, said timing device including means for effooting the operation of said means for expelling the ballast liquid a selected time interval after the timing device is set and including means for deenergizing the propulsion equipment a greater time interval after the timing device is set.

7. In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of a torpedo normally having negative buoyancy by reason of the inclusion within the torpedo of a ballast liquid, normally being fired from a firing tube with considerable acceleration, normally including propulsion equipment set in operation the instant the torpedo clears the firing tube, and normally including means for expelling the ballast liquid when the torpedo is to be made buoyant, in combination, a source of electric potential normally of constant value, a timing device, means responsive to inertia and thus normally operable during the accelerating period of the torpedo for setting said timing device, said timing device including means for effecting the operation of said means for expelling the ballast liquid a selected time interval after the timing device is set and including means for deenergizing the propulsion equipment a greater time interval after the timing device is set.

8. In an electromechanical control system for controlling the buoyancy of a torpedo normally having negative buoyancy by reason of the inclusion Within the torpedo of a ballast liquid, normally being fired from a firing tube with considerable acceleration, normally including propulsion equipment set in operation the instant the torpedo clears the firing tube, and normally including means for expelling the ballast liquid when the torpedo is to be made buoyant, in combination, a source of electric potential normally of constant value, means responsive to a predetermined drop in potential of said source of electric potential, regardless of the cause of such drop,

cluding means for efiecting the operation of said means for expelling the ballast liquid a selected time interval after the timing device is set.

CHARLES C. WHITTAKER. 

